Hair curler



Sept. 2, 1952 N. L. SOLOMON HAIR CURLER Filed Nov. 26, 1948 INVENTOR. NAmm/L. SOLOMON Patented Sept. 2, 1952 i HAIR CURLERH V NathanxL. 'Sol0m on,;Engle vood, N. J.

I 1 UNITED STATES ,PATENT "O F IC Application November 26, 1948,.Serial -No.=62,1 50

This invention relates to a slumber eurlen'that is, a hair curler designed to be worn while the user sleeps.

The invention has amongiits objects .the provi- 'sion of a novel slumber curler which is economical to manufacture and easy to apply.

The invention has as a further"objec'tjthe'provision of a curler of the type'described whiehis compact and which does not include janyjh'ard parts whichmight injure "the head off the user. These and further objects ojf theinventicn ,will

be more readilyapparent in the iollowingdescription of preferred embodiments thereof.

Priorha'ir curlers of the slumber type 'not q'nly have been somewhat bulky, but have been particularly disadvantageoussincethey included one or more hard parts which tended to jin'jurethe scalp of the wearer as her head restedon "them as she slept. Such prior curlers have. further been difficult to manipulate to formthe curl 'and. to fasten the curler in place. The curler of thepresent invention, whichjis .preferablymade in one piece, is made of soft rubber or rubber-,like-elastomer whichrea'dily yields under thejpressureoi the'headon the pillow or bed, thereby obviating any injury to the head or discomfort 'tothe wearer.

, The invention will be more readily snags-ta by re'ierenceto the accompanying drawing,

hic v Fig l is a View in perspective ofa firstkernbodiment of the curler of the inventiq l; I

Fig. 2 is a similar view/offthe curlershown in Fig. 1 with a swatch of .hairapplied theretotc,

form a regular type of curl; Fig, Bis a view in perspectiyefof a'second em.-

"bodiment'oi the curler cfftheinvention;

change the'stra'nds from a relatively istraigl t into.

a curly or wavy condition. v The embodiment of the ftllllflfir shown in Figs. 1 and Bis made from a'blank which is molded as an integral structure "froinfsoft rubber, I;Such curler blank has a hollow, cylindrical stem 2' with 9Claims. (01.13 2 4?!) and spaced from the base of stem 2, isferinedin the flange by'a 'lancing operation. Such operi ation forms a yokehaped locking member 8 aflange, generally designated l, .at oneend thereof. In forming the curleriromtheblank, a semi circular slot 6 cut through the flange parallel to which" normally lies parallel to flange 4. The locking member has on the edge thereof. a cenjtrall'y located manipulating tab 'i ii. hair swatch receiving radial slot [2 located opposite tab 10 'isprovided in the flange, such slot flaring at bOth-itsinner'and outer ends, as shown. Slotli! may be'fforme'd inethe molding of the blank or .may be lanced 'into the flange. The end of stem 2 remote from flange 4 is provided with diametrically opposite V slots 14 in its walls. Slots I4 maybe formed during the molding of the blank or may ,be cutor lanced into the end of stem 2, the latter being molded with imperforate side walls ifslots M are to be lanced. The length of stem l'! and the depth oi'slots 14 are such that the locking member is stretched somewhat when it ispositioned in the locking position shownin Fig, 2. v

The curler of Fig. .1 is applied to the head of the user with the flange 4 lying on and parallel to the scalp. A swatch of hair l6 from the scalp is entered into s'lo't ['2 as shown in Fig. 2, the free end or the swatch then being wound repeatedly around-stem 2, to form the multiple layer-curl l8.

v The free end of the swatch ofhair beyond the curl is designated 20. The locking member is .positioned to retain curl I8 in place on the stem 2 by graspin tab 10 and pulling and swinging the 'lockingmember 8 around and over the free endlll of the swatch of hair until the outer end of the locking member lies within the slots- I 4. When it is desiredto release the curl, the locking member is simply stretchedlongitudinally of the stem 2 by grasping the tab 10, after which the lockingmember is swung down over the free end 28 of the swatch of hair, leavingthe curl free to be withdrawn endwise of the stem 2. v

The embodiment of thecurler shown in Figure 3"is"simi lar.to thatshown in Figures land Z-and described above, with the exception of the construction-o'f the end of the stem remote from the flange; .Parts of the curler shown in Figure 3 which are the same as those in the first described embodiment are designated by the same-reference characters as thosein Figuresl and 2 but with an added prime. The end of the stem in the embodiment shown in Figure 3 is molded with a flared thin flange section designated 22. Flange flange 22 of the stem is of value in aiding the retention of the curl on the stem before the looking member 8 has been applied thereto. Because part 22 is of thin section, it is very readily deformed. When the locking member is moved to inoperative position, after the curl has set, flange 22 allows removal of the curl from the stem by sliding the curl axially of the stem, since part 22 is thereupon depressed radially inwardly during such removal of the curl. I

The embodiment .of the curler shown in Figures 4 and is particularly designed for the formation of sculpture curls. Such device gen; erally corresponds in its elements and their functions to those embodiments above described, the

main difference lying in the proportioning of the parts. In Figures 4 and 5, the flange 26 is of relatively larger diameter than that in the previously described embodiments whereas the stem 28 is shorter than of such other embodiments. The curler of Figures '4' and 5 is formed as an integral body from soft rubber or the like elastomer, The flange 26 has the radial slot 30 flared at both ends therein. The lanced narrow. slot cut through the flange consists of the arcuate side portions 32, one end of each of which lies substantially ona diameter of the stem, and the straight portion 34 connecting the other ends of the arcuate cuts 32, cuts 32 and 34 forming the locking member 36. The end of stem 28 remote from the flange is provided with the V shaped slots 38 which are diametrically opposed on the stem walls, the length of the stem and the depth of slots 38 being such that when the locking member is swung by the tab 40 into the locking position shown in Figure 5.so that the straight portion formed by cut 34 lies in the grooves 38, the locking member is, in tension.

The curler of Figures 4 and 51s applied to the head with the flange parallel to the scalp and a swatch of hair 42, coming from the scalp, is

thrust through slot as shown. Thereupon the free end of the swatch is curled repeatedly upon stem 28 to form a multiple layer spiral curl 44.

Locking member 36 is then swung upwardly over the free end 46 of the swatch of hair so that its inner surface formed by cut 34 lies in the grooves 38, as shown. When the curl has set, the locking member is swung down over the free end of the swatch of hair and the curl off the stem 28.

Although, for purposes of illustration, I have shown and described preferred embodiments of the slumber curler'of the invention, it is to be understood that such embodiments are illustra- 'tive only, since the invention is capable of considerable variation as to details.

' I claim as new the following:

1. A hair curler made of soft elastomer, said curler comprising a hair receiving stem, a flange connected to one end of the stem, a locking member formed from an outer portion of "the flange at one side thereof, said locking member being separated from the remainder of the flange by a 'slot which extends a substantial angular extent is slid axially around the stem, locking member retaining means at the end of the stem remote from the flange, the length of the stem being such that the locking member is under tension when it is swung into curl locking position to lie along the length of the stem and with its inner surface engaging the retaining means on the stem.

2. A hair curler made wholly of soft elastomer, said curler 'comprising'a hair receiving stem, a flange connected to one end of the stem, a lock- 4 ing member formed from an outer portion of the flange at one side thereof, said locking member being separated from the remainder of the flange by a slot which extends a substantial angular extent around the stem, a slot in the end of the stem remote from the flange, the length of the stem and the depth of the slot being such that the locking member is under tension when it is swung into curl locking position tolie along the length of the. stem and with its inner surface in the slot on the stem.

3. A hair curler made wholly of soft elastomer, said curler comprising a hair receiving stem, a transverse flange on one end of the stem, said flange having a swatch gripping means therein, alocking member formed from an outer portion of the flange at one side thereof, said locking member being separated from the remainder of the flange by a narrow slot which extends a substantial angular extent around the stem, a slot in the end of the stem remote from the flange, ,thele'ngth'of the stem and the depth of the slot being such that the locking member is and withits inner surface in the slot on the stem.

4. A hair curler made integrally of soft rubber-like elastomer, said curler comprising a cylindrical hair receiving stem, a transverse flange on one end of the stem, said flange having a swatch retaining means therein, a locking member formed from an outer portion of the flange, at one side thereof, said locking member being separated from the remainder of the flange by a narrow slot which extends a substantial angular extent around the stem, a slot in the end of the stem remote from the flange, the length of the stem and the depth of the slot being such that the locking member is under tension when it is swung into curl locking position to lie along the length of the stem and with its inner surface in the slot on the stem.

5. A.hair curler made integrally of soft rubber-like elastomer, said curler comprising a cylindrical hair-receiving stem, said stem being in the form of a tube, a'flange on one end of the stem and positioned substantially at a right angle thereto, said flange having a swatch receiving and gripping .slot from the edge to the base of the stem, a locking member formed from an outer portion of the flange at one side thereof, said locking member when inoperative lying substantially in the plane of the flange and being separated therefrom by a narrow circular slot which is coaxial of the stem and flange and which extends substantially therearound, diametrically opposed slots in the end of the stem remote from the flange, the length of the stem and the depth of the slots being such that the locking member is under tension when it is swung into curl locking position to lie along the length of the stem and with its inner surface in the slots on the stem.

6. A hair curler made integrally of soft rubber, said curler comprising a cylindrical hair receiving stem, said stem being in the form of 'a tube, a circular flange coaxial therewith on one end of the stem and positioned at aright the edge to the base of the stern, a locking member formed from an outer portion of the flange at one side thereof, said locking member when inoperative lying in the plane of the flange and being separated therefrom by a narrow circular slot which is coaxial of the stem and flange and which extends substantially 180 therearound, diametrically opposed V slots in the end of the stem remote from the flange, the length of the stem and the depth of the slots being such that the locking member is under tension when it is swung into curl locking position to lie along the length of the stem and with its inner surface in the V slots on the stem.

'7. A one piece curler of soft material comprising a stem having a free end, a flange integrally and permanently centered on said stem, and an integral yoke-shaped locking member on and formed from the material of said flange and adapted to extend to end connect with said free end of the stem.

8. A soft curler comprising a stem upon which a swatch of hair may be wound and from which the wound swatch may be slid, an integral flange on said stem having a swatch receiving aperture extending across the flange and opening at the perimeter thereof, and locking means integral with said stem and flange including a notch at the end of said stem and an integral and swing- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,168,368 Solomon Aug. 8, 1939 2,176,351 McFadden Oct. 17, 1939 2,212,569 Lemley Aug. 27, 1940 2,237,942 Lemley Apr. 8, 1941 2,256,143 Dunlavy Sept. 16, 1941 2,450,560 Redward Oct. 5, 1948 2,497,848 Currie Feb. 21, 1950 2,508,374 Cipolla May 23, 1950 

